Twins Make Four

CHAPTER 12

Scarlet

I woke, the sound of a light snore jerking me right out of my sleep. The second my eyes opened, they landed on Tobias’s face. A smile spread over my lips.

For the second time in a row, my night had been incredible. I felt a warm and tingly sensation thinking about the way he had made me feel. Yet, I also felt a hallow feeling that accompanied facing the realization that our fling had undoubtedly come to an end since he would leaving soon. The past two days with him had been like something out of a fairytale, but now it was almost time to face reality again, whether I was ready to or not.

Beneath all of that, I couldn’t deny feeling quite a bit of guilt as well. Something about the fact that I had firmly believed him to be Preston and had failed to be upfront with him about it made me feel dumb. After all, Tobias had been truthful with me; it wasn’t his fault that I hadn’t believed him.

I stared at his sleeping face, his long eyelashes, and thick dark hair. I watched the way his bare chest rose and fell with each breath he took. He was so breathtakingly handsome, I couldn’t resist reaching touching him. Gently, I placed my hand on the side of his face, letting my thumb caress his cheek, feeling the stubble that had started to grow in there.

He stirred slightly and his eyes cracked open. That sexy smile of his slid into place. “Morning,” he said.

“Morning.”

Rolling onto his side, he placed a hand on my hip. “Did you sleep well?”

I nodded. “Yes. Did you?”

“Best two nights of sleep I’ve had in a long time,” he said with a chuckle.

“Is that all that was good?” I said, raising my eyebrows. “The sleep?”

His laughter filled the room. “No. Believe it or not, some other things were even better than the sleep.”

“Okay, good to know,” I said, joining in on the laughter. I rolled onto my back, feeling so content that I wanted to stay there forever.

Tobias began to trail his fingers along my stomach, his touch so light that it tickled. “Scarlet?” he said.

“Yeah?”

“What is it?”

I looked sideways at him. “Huh?”

“I get a feeling something’s bothering you,” he said. “I mean, unless it’s just that I’m leaving? But I’m not so vain as to think you’d be bothered by that. I already told you that I was only in town for a few days. We both knew this was just a…”

“Fling,” I finished for him. “Two-night stand.”

He nodded. “Yeah a fucking great one at that.”

I swallowed, because that was indeed one of the things that was bothering me, but just slightly. I had been careful not to apply more meaning to our fling than what it was worth.

The real thing that was bothering me though…

I knew I shouldn’t let our time together end without admitting to it.

I sighed. “That’s not what’s bothering me.”

“Then what is it? You’re not still upset about the bill you’re leaving me with, are you?” he asked, although some humor had returned to his voice.

I smiled. “No.”

“Then elaborate. Please.”

“Tobias…” I said, and took a deep breath, “I really did think you were Preston.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why you came over to me at the bar in the first place.”